Daniel Radcliffe reveals he's a hopeless romantic

Harry Potter star opens up about his romantic side, as he makes his debut as a
leading man in a romantic comedy What If

7:35AM BST 13 Aug 2014

Daniel Radcliffe, 25, best known for playing boy wizard Harry Potter in the big-screen adaptations of JK Rowling's books, admitted he can be quite the romantic at the UK premiere of his new film What If, in London's Leicester Square.

The movie, directed by Michael Dowse, stars Radcliffe as a medical school drop-out who falls in love with his best friend, played by Zoe Kazan. The only problem is, her character is already in a relationship.

The actor, who is dating actress Erin Darke in real life, said: "I am fairly romantic, at least as my character is in the film. I've surprised people with trips to New York before and such things.

"But sometimes it backfires on me," he added.

What If sees the star in different territory after his leading roles in the Harry Potter films, the horror movie The Woman In Black, stage play Equus and dark drama Kill Your Darlings. But he said he approached it in exactly the same way as the other parts.

"It (being a romantic lead) was great fun," he continued. "But when approaching the film, I don't think I thought, 'It's this genre' so I have to act a certain way. You just approach it as a character. He's the closest character to me that I've played."

Radcliffe - who had to strip off for a skinny-dipping scene in Lake Ontario, Canada - joked he did not have to do it for real before shooting the scene.

"I didn't go skinny-dipping in preparation. But I have done it before," he said. "I was in Ireland. Skinny-dipping there is not the same proposition as it is in America. It was not fun."

Jemima Rooper, who plays the elder sister of Radcliffe's character, said working with him was a joy.

"He's amazing. I'd love to say, 'Eurgh' but he bowls me over. He's very relaxed, chilled out and brilliant with people. He's very humble, down-to-earth, a hard worker and just really sweet and fun," she revealed.

What If, which also stars Adam Driver, Mackenzie Crook and Rafe Spall, is released in cinemas on August 20.